This invention relates generally to a memory circuit and more particularly, to a circuit for preventing an erroneous operation caused by noise applied to word lines.
Memory circuits generally comprises a plurality of word lines in a row direction, a plurality of bit lines in a column direction intersecting with the word lines, and a plurality of memory cells disposed at intersections of the word lines and the bit lines. When one of word lines is selected, the memory cells connected to the selected word line are in the selection state, and produce data from the respective selected cells to their corresponding bit lines at the time of reading and take data from the bit lines into the selected memory cells at the time of writing. In other words, electrical connections between the bit lines and the memory cells are controlled by the word lines. If word line or lines other than the selected word line are changed from non-selection level to a level near the selection level of the word line by noise or the like, the contents of two or more memory cells are produced simultaneously for one bit line so that accurate access to the data of the selected memory cell is no longer possible. Moreover, the contents of the celected memory cells are destroyed in the memory where the read-out data are rewritten into the selected memory cells from the bit lines. Particularly when a decoder circuit driving the word lines is of a dynamic type, the problem that the potentials of the non-selected word lines change due to noise or the like, becomes all the more remarkable. In other words, the dynamic type decoder circuit consists basically of a NOR gate to which a plurality of address input signals are applied, and a transmission transistor which receives the output of this NOR gate at its gate and transmits the word line driving pulse to the word line when the output of the NOR gate is true. Accordingly, the non-selected word lines are kept in the floating state without being connected to any of power sources and are likely to be affected by noise, thereby causing potential changes. In this point of view, a noise prevention circuit is added to each word line in order to prevent floating of the non-selected word lines. This noise prevention circuit includes a first field effect transistor which is connected between the word line and the reference potential and whose gate is connected to a pre-charge node, a second field effect transistor which is connected between the pre-charge node and the reference potential, and a third field effect transistor which charges the pre-charge node in a reset period. When the word line is in the non-selection state, this noise prevention circuit renders the first transistor conductive by the charge that is charged to the pre-charge node, and holds this word line at the reference potential. However, since the noise prevention circuit of the prior art described above necessitates the three field effect transistors and, this noise prevention circuit must be added to every word lines, it requires a relatively large chip area to form the noise prevention circuits for all the word lines. Accordingly, the pitch of arrangement between the word lines is restricted by the region in which each noise prevention circuit is formed, and hence, can not be reduced. This renders a critical problem in order to realize a high density memory circuit.